Work-box.



8,804. 4 ?ATENTED JAN. 20,' 1903.

4 J. WATSON. WORK BOX.

APPLIOATION PILED APE 12, 1902.

o MODEL.

mil/W UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN WATSON, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

WORK-BOX.

SPECIFICATION formng part of Letters Patent No. ?18,804, dated January 20, 1903.

Application filed April 12, 1902. Serial No. 102,(375. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN WATSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltiniore, in the State of Maryland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Work-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This iuvention relates to a work-box for containing sewing articles and devices related thereto; and the object in view is to conveniently arrange within a box means for holding spools of thread, darning-cotton, and the like of a peculiar form which will hold said spools in such position with relation to tension devices as to permit the thread and cotton to be drawn outwardly from the ends of the box when used without slack unwinding or uncoiling and entanglement within the body of the box, the lid ;or cover of the box being equipped with means for holding pins, needles, thimbles, scissors, and the like.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts, which will be nore fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of-a box embodying the features of the invention and shown open. Fig. 2 is a trans- Verse Vertical section of the improved box shown closed and also showing spools in dotted lines on one of the supporting devices or spool-holders, the spool of the remaining device being removed. Fig. 3 is a sectional View of a portion of the box looking toward the inner side of one end thereof to show the tension devices and the manner of passing the thread or cotton therethrough.

Similar numerals of reference are enployed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The numeral 1 designates a box of any suitable dimensions and material, and to this box is hinged a cover 2, having a depth sufficient to receive a number of articles which will be hereinafter set forth. Projecting inwardly from the upper portions of the front and rear sides of the box, near the ends, are eyes 3 for the removable reception of the upper hooked ends 4: of spool-holders 5, one of said holders being located at each end of the box within the latter. Each of the holders comprises a pair of divergent arms 6, having the hooks 4: formed on the upper terminals thereof, the said arms being long enough to give bearing to spools fitted thereover and project outwardly,-respectively, toward the front and rear sides of the box to dispose the spools carried thereby at similar angles. The arms 6 continue into lower rest members 7at right angles thereto, and from the latter sustaining members 8 extend inwardly and upwardly and continue into a V-shaped foot 9, adapted to loosely rest against the bottom of the box. Each holder is preferably constructed from a single piece of wire of suitable stiffness and will have a vertical length materially greater than the distance from the plane of the eyes 3 to the bottom of the box, so that when the holders are applied in operative position they will have an inward and downward angle of inclination relatively to the adjacent ends of the box. The spools placed upon the arms 6 are held at an angle in the manner set forth' to facilitate the unwinding of the content-s therefrom without liability of entanglement with the parts of the holder, particularly in view of tension devices, which will be hereinafter specified. The holders may be readily removed for applying filled spools thereto or withdrawing empty ones therefrom, and it will be understood that the books 4 Will be of such dimensione that they can be readily inserted through the bores of the spools. When the spools are on the arms 6, thelower heads thereof loosely bear against the rest members 7, and by this means the said spools may always be held at a certain elevation, which is desirable to render the unwinding of the thread therefrom effective.

The interior of the front and rear sides of the box, ata centralpoint, also have inwardlyprojecting eyes 10 at a lower plane than the eyes 3 for the support of an intermediate holder 11 having downwardly-bent hooked terminals 12 to removably engage the said eyes 10. The holder ll consists mainly of a straight bar and has adjacent to oneend a depending elongated loop 13 to form a stop. or..

limitingprojection. This intermediate holder ll is adapted to receive large spools containing darning-cotton or coarse thread,and when such spool is on the main bar of the said holder it will be held in a positive position and be prevented from riding backwardly and forwardly by the stop projection 13. This intermediate holder is also freely removable from the eyes 10 for the purpose of withdrawing an empty spool and substituting a filled one, and the spool carried by such holder will be held in horizontal position between the spools on the holders at opposite ends of the box.

The opposite ends of the box are formed with outletopenings, the one end having three openings 14 and 15, the opening 15 being at the center for the passage therethrough of the cotton or thread from the intermediate horizontally-disposed spool carried by the holder 11. The opposite end of the box has two openings similar` to the openings 14, and in all of the openings are wear-eyes 16. Below the openings 14, on the inner sides of the ends of the box, are tension devices comprising a series of eyes 17 and 18, the eyes 17 being disposed in vertical alinement and the eyes 18 in each series located at an intermediate point relatively to the said eyes 17 and inwardly from the latter, all the eyes being held against accidental separation from the ends ot' the box by securing-staples 19. Each end spool has a tension device similar to that just described and comprisinga series of three eyes,and indisposing the thread in relation to the eyes to establish the tension desired it is first passed u pwardly through the lower eye 17 and thence through the upper similar eye and down at an angle ofinclination, underand upwardly through the eye 18, and again through the upper eye 17, from whence itis passed outwardly through the opening 14, the thread being crossed between the upper eye 17 and the eye 18, as clearly shown by Fig. 3. By pursuing this particular mode of threading the eyes 17 and 18 the thread will be prevented from having slack play or movement, and entanglement of the coils or loose unwinding of the thread from the adjacent spool a greater degree than required" will b avoided. Close to the opening 15 a tension device is also provided for the thread or cotton from the intermediate spool and comprises two vertically-alined eyes 20, also held against accidental displacement by staples 21. The thread or cotton from the intermediate spool is first passed through the lower eye 20, then through the upper similar eye and down under and upwardly through both eyes, leaving the upper eye 20, and passing out through the eye 15. It Will be seen that the thread or cotton in both forms of tension devices is looped in relation to the eyes, and the object of this arrangement is to avoid easy slipping movement of the thread or cotton through the eyes and set up a sufficient frictional resistance to prevent slackness of the thread or cotton for the reason heretofore stated.

Below the eyes 14c and the eye 15 on the outer sides of the ends of the box combined holders and cutters are Secured and consist of triangularly-shaped metal plates 22, Secured at their upper extremities and having their lower reduced terminals free to draw the thread or cotton thereunder. The free extremities of the plates 22 normally lie close enough to the outer sides of the ends of the box to bind on the thread or cotton drawn between said plates and the box ends, and one edge 23 of each plate is blunt and the other edge 24 sharpened to form a cutter. The thread or cotton is drawn downwardly from the openings 14 and 15 and then passed under the plates 22 in planes at right angles, so that the said thread or cotton may be drawn over the cutting edges of the plates when suflcient lengths have been drawn out or unwound from the full spools and severed. By the use of these plates also the extremities of the thread or cotton will be left long enough, so that they may be Conveniently grasped whenever it is desired to use alength of the thread or cotton, as before set forth. The cover 2 is formed deep enough to provide a receptacle, and therein is disposed a pin or needle cushion 25, a support fora thimble 26, and means for holding scissors 27, which consists of a strap 28, fastened at opposite ends to the inner portion of the top of the cover. It is also proposed to secure papers 29 of needle, the means of securing the said needle-inclosures being numerous, and a simplified form consisting in applying adhesive material to the back of the papers and axing said papers at convenient points, as illustrated.

The improved work-box will be found exceptionally convenient, and it is obvious that the form, proportions, dimensione, and minor details may be varied without in the least departing from the nature or spirit of the invention.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. A work-box having spool-holding devices pivotally mounted at opposite ends thereof, each of which is provided with a pair of outwardly-inclined upwardly-projecting spool-holding arms continuing into lower angular rests and provided with a lower foot, each holder being normally disposed at a downward and inward angle of inclination within the box.

2. Awork-boxcomprisingspool-holdingdevices pivotally mounted at opposite ends thereot', each having outwardly-inclined upwardly-projecting spool-holding arms with the upper terminals thereof separably attached to the box and also provided with a lower hearing-foot to rest loosely on the bottom of the box, the holders being normally disposed at downward and inward inclinations.

3. A work-box having a spool-holder removably and pivotally mounted therein and provided with upwardly projecting outwardly-inclined arms to receive spools, the lower portion of the holder hearing loosely 011 the bottom of the box.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN WATSON. i

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